Personal branding is creating a presence for yourself, using your brand to represent who you are and what you do in the workplace. It’s about establishing a reputation as a subject matter expert or leader within your field or industry. Your Personal Brand should be consistent across various platforms and networking groups. Personal branding aims to make connections with other people, build a network of peers and mentors, and establish yourself as someone trustworthy and reliable in business situations.
Personal Brand in the office
- Be yourself. People will love you for the unique qualities that make up your brand, so don’t try to be someone else (or what you think others want).
- Be authentic. Authenticity is at the heart of a personal brand, and being genuine can go a long way in building trust with your colleagues and friends.
- Be a good listener. If people feel listened to, they are more likely to listen to others and share their thoughts/ideas freely with everyone involved in the conversation or project.
- Be a team player. Your ability to work as part of a group can only enhance your Personal Brand because it shows that you are willing to give back in order for the end product or solution to be better than if only one person had worked on it alone.
Avoid jumping to conclusions
When you first meet someone, avoid jumping to conclusions. Don’t assume that you know what they are thinking or what they are going to say. Always keep an open mind and allow yourself the opportunity to learn something new from someone you just met.
Establish yourself as a subject matter expert
Being considered a subject matter expert (SME) is vital to having a strong Personal Brand. You need to be known as the go-to person for help, advice, and information in your field. By doing this, you’re also establishing yourself as an authority on that topic which helps build credibility with others who may not know you personally but are looking for answers within your area of expertise.
Be willing and open about sharing information. You can share your knowledge with colleagues by letting them know what skills you have that they might need help with or by helping train new employees coming into the company on how to do something specific. Or if there’s some new technology being introduced at work that will impact everyone’s workload/deliverables/output etc., offer training sessions or workshops, so people understand how it works before being asked to use it on their own.
Get to know your peers
If you want to get ahead in the workplace, it’s important to know your colleagues and make a positive impression on them. It can be easy to pigeonhole people into their respective roles, but getting to know your peers on a personal level will help you connect with them as people.
Here are some ideas on how to do this:
- Find out what they’re passionate about outside of work. If someone is interested in wildlife conservation, ask about their favorite animals or if they’ve volunteered for an organization that helps wildlife. Their answers will tell you more about them than just knowing what kind of car they drive or what music they listen to.
- When talking with others at work, ask questions like “How did you get started with [insert hobby here]?” This gives the other person an opportunity to talk about themselves without seeming self-absorbed; plus, it gives them an opportunity to share something interesting about themselves without coming across as bragging or trying too hard.
Speak up in meetings
- Have a point of view. You’re in the room for a reason, so make sure you have something to say. You don’t need to be an expert on everything, but you should be able to share your thoughts on whatever is being discussed at the meeting.
- Be prepared. Spend time crafting your ideas before the meeting so you can respond to questions in real-time without scrambling around looking for information or asking someone else in the room for help. This will also give you time to think through what has been said and formulate your response before putting it into words.
- Be confident—but respectful of others’ opinions too! It’s natural not everyone will agree with each other when discussing topics such as business strategy or new initiatives; however, even if there are disagreements between team members during these discussions (which is totally normal), keep them respectful and focused on moving forward with constructive solutions rather than criticizing each other personally or shuttering down entirely due to lack of agreement among team members’ ideas/positions/etc.
Dress for success
In an office setting, you want to dress in a way that makes you look professional and mature. You should always wear clothes that are clean, pressed and fit properly. Try to avoid sports jerseys, graphic tees with quotes or images on them, or hoodies unless they’re part of your uniform/uniform shirt or unless it is really your company’s culture or your unique personalized style.
Assign yourself stretch projects or tasks
There’s no better way to build your personal brand than by taking on a new challenge, especially one that involves learning something new. Assigning yourself a stretch project or task can be an excellent way to learn and grow in your career, but only if you’re willing to push yourself! That’s why it’s important to pick goals that are ambitious enough for you meet them—but not too hard that they feel overwhelming.
For example: If you’ve been working at your company for years and have always wanted to become a manager (or maybe even the CEO), take on an extra project or two at work so people see how valuable you are as a leader. This could be anything from leading an employee training session or managing an important client relationship—but whatever it is, make sure it has real importance within the organization so others know how much thought went into it beforehand by selecting this goal above all others.
Join professional social and networking groups
Social and networking groups are a great way to meet people in your industry. If you’re looking for the right group to join, consider your interests and hobbies. Are there things you enjoy doing outside of work? For example, if you love running or reading books on the weekend, find out if there’s a running club or book club in your area. These groups can help give you some much-needed breaks from work while also helping build relationships with other people who share similar interests as yours.
To keep up with these relationships after meeting them at these events, it’s important that you take advantage of social media platforms such as LinkedIn or Facebook so that you can stay connected with those who have reached out to make connections with them through these platforms as well
Volunteer on company teams and at company events
Volunteering on company teams and at company events is a great way to get your feet wet in the office. By volunteering, you will learn more about the company, meet more people and get to know your colleagues better. You’ll also be able to see how they work as well as their culture in general.
Being an active volunteer at work gives you an easy opportunity to show off your skills and make yourself memorable—and that’s not something you want to pass up!
You are an individual and should be treated as such. You have your own brand and it is important to understand what that means in the workplace. Your brand can make or break you in business, so it’s important to understand how it can affect both your professional and personal life.
